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SUMMARY: California Traffic Tickets

When you receive a traffic citation in California, you can either
fight your ticket or make a payment to the court in the county where you received it. If you lose your ticket, contact the court handling your case for information. If you commit a major traffic violation, your driver's license will be suspended.

On this page, you'll find information about California traffic ticket fines and penalties, what to do if you lose your traffic ticket, and penalties for commercial drivers.

Traffic Ticket Fines and Penalties

Traffic fine amounts in California
vary by county court. To get specific details about traffic ticket fees, you'll need to contact the county court listed on your citation. If you're a commercial driver, see below.

Penalties for Traffic Tickets

The penalties for traffic tickets are consistent throughout all counties in California.

Points issued will depend on the traffic violation. Violations such as
speeding, making an unsafe lane change, or an at-fault accident will give you lower points than serious violations, such as reckless driving, hit-and-run, DUI, or driving with a suspended or revoked license.

Pay a Traffic Ticket in California

If you
pay the ticket and attend traffic school, you may not need to go to court. In some cases, you can pay the fine online or by mail; this information should be printed on your ticket.

If you
lose your ticket or you cannot find payment information on the ticket, call the traffic court in the county where you received the citation.

For detailed information about how to pay your traffic ticket, please refer to our page about
paying traffic tickets.

Take a Traffic School Course

If you received a traffic ticket for a moving violation, you may,
at the court's discretion, have the option to enroll in traffic school or point reduction course to remove points from your driving record.

Your court will let you know if this is an option for you.

Fight a CA Traffic Ticket

If you wish to contest your traffic ticket in California, you'll either need to visit the
court in the county that issued it, or request a trial by mail.

Lost Your Traffic Ticket?

Any online ticket search availability will vary by which California county you live in. Search your county website to see if they have a search option; it is likely that you will have to contact your local
traffic court directly for information regarding a lost traffic ticket.

Be sure to check your
driving record to ensure no points were mistakenly added or left on your record.

Major Traffic Violations in CA

The CA
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will
suspend your driver's license if you accumulate 4 points or more in 12 months. The court will suspend your driver's license (regardless of the number of points on your driving record) if you're cited for a serious traffic violation such as driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs.